The truth behind the healing power of music
If you’ve suffered anything from a bad day to a devastating loss, you probably know that one of the first and best places to turn to is music. According to recent studies, there’s a reason for that: it’s scientifically proven to be healing and cathartic.
According to a study performed by the University of Missouri, people are actually able to lift themselves out of a low emotional state by playing contrastingly cheerful music if they consciously attempt to feel happier while doing so. Significantly, study participants who were instructed to attempt to raise their moods while listening to upbeat music were able to achieve this in the immediate short term period and even increased their overall happiness over the course of two weeks.
On the other end of the spectrum, another study, conducted by the University of California and Berkely, found that even sad songs can help to heal a “broken” heart. According to the researchers, "Under certain circumstances, consumers in negative moods might choose aesthetic experiences consistent with their mood even when more pleasant alternatives are also available." So basically, music can be a self-indulgent means of experiencing and working through our emotions.
So whether your choice of music is The Rolling Stones’ melancholy Out of Tears, Zeppelin’s heart breaking, Baby Come on Home, The Beatles’ optimistic Getting Better, or Clapton’s rebellious Cocaine, your impulse to turn to music in hard times is actually backed up by science.
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